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One might expect that someone writing a film review under the banner of a libertarian website might inject his review with a distinct political bias, especially when the review is of a film with a noticeable allegorical edge. Kurt Loder widely avoids politicizing “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” however, and his review is all the stronger for it.

Catching Fire focuses on the important aspects of the film: its plot, its visuals, the quality of the acting. By not letting himself get distracted by a desire to insert his own political agenda into the mix, Loder proves himself to be a talented and knowledgeable critic. He’s writing about the movie, not himself.

While Catching Fire gets a little long in the word count, it never comes across as bloated or pretentious. Instead, it tackles important aspects of the movie beat by beat and provides the reader with a thorough understanding of the film, what works about it, and what does not.

Loder has been around for a while, but he is far from resting on his laurels. Catching Fire is a thoughtful, intelligent, and well-reasoned review from a master of the form, and a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in the film.